Qiao Qingqing actually knew the high-interest loan sharks thanks to Lin Chaohai.
Lin Chaohai had a cousin, Lin Jianjun, who had done well in the Revolutionary Committee but later fell into gambling, accumulating huge debts. Every time he was chased by creditors, Lin Chaohai would pay off the debts for him. When Lin Jianjun eventually died from alcoholism, it was still Lin Chaohai who covered his funeral costs.
Back then, everyone praised Lin Chaohai as a man of principle and loyalty.
Looking back now, Qiao Qingqing realized that most of the assets Lin Jianjun had seized from others probably ended up in Lin Chaohai’s hands. Lin Chaohai built his pharmaceutical business on those medicinal recipes and herbs—he could never fully detach from Lin Jianjun’s shadow.
During the time she handled matters for the Lin family and helped pay off Lin Jianjun’s debts, Qiao Qingqing came into contact with two lending companies. She chose the cruelest, most ruthless, and deepest-pocketed one.
She first explained her purpose—borrowing money. As Lin Chaohai’s wife, and a well-known local entrepreneur, the call was quickly transferred to the person in charge, Liu Ge. Upon learning that Qiao Qingqing needed urgent funds, Liu Ge was extremely enthusiastic and even offered to come to her location.
Qiao Qingqing said, “No need to come over. I’m free now and can sign the contract immediately.”
Liu Ge’s voice was warm and pleasant, like spring: “Sister-in-law, don’t rush. It’s almost mealtime; why not have lunch together and sort it out slowly?”
Qiao Qingqing refused: “No, I really need the money urgently.”
Hearing that, Liu Ge reacted like a leech seeing blood, excited and ready to pounce. After some discussion, they agreed on a preliminary contract: Qiao Qingqing would borrow 6.5 million yuan in cash.
She could have borrowed more, but that would have required going through higher-level approvals, which would complicate matters. She got the 6.5 million by agreeing to the highest interest rate imaginable—an amount Lin Chaohai would later struggle to repay even if he sold everything he owned.
Once the terms were set, Qiao Qingqing returned home. Since last night, Lin Chaohai had been gagged most of the day, not drinking or eating, and was barely alive. Qiao Qingqing, however, did not want him to die too comfortably, so she removed the gag and gave him a cup of water.
With a straw pushed to his mouth, Lin Chaohai drank desperately. Weak and breathless, he finally spoke without any hint of defiance: “Let me go…”
Qiao Qingqing ignored him and fetched her ID, marriage certificate, and property deeds. With other assets mortgaged to banks for the new factory, this house—valued at over three million yuan—would be pledged to the loan sharks.
As she gathered the documents, Lin Chaohai kept pleading, “Qingqing, do you really have the heart to do this to me? Don’t you love me anymore?”
“Even after all these years, I never wanted to divorce. The child I had with another woman? I still brought him back for you to raise. You are my wife, and only you,” he insisted, weaving an act of sincerity.
But as Qiao Qingqing steadily collected the papers, he realized something was wrong. “Qingqing, let’s talk… let me hug you… what are you doing with these papers?”
She walked up to him: “Oh, just to borrow from a loan shark.”
Lin Chaohai turned pale. First stunned, then roaring: “You dare! Idiot! Do you even know what you’re doing?!”
Qiao Qingqing smiled faintly: “If I can’t repay the loan, there’s you. Joint marital debt, remember?”
Veins bulging, eyes red, Lin Chaohai yelled: “Stop it, Qingqing! Why are you acting insane like this? You wretched woman! I should have just kicked you to death back then!”
Seeing that he was now strong enough to survive a few more days without food and air, Qiao Qingqing didn’t hesitate. She stuffed the gag back in his mouth, winding it so tight that he nearly dislocated his jaw, leaving him muffled and exhausted.
Standing over him, she finally said: “Lin Chaohai, what right do you have to yell at me? I’m just reclaiming what you and your family stole from mine. Your Lin family has been poor for three generations, and you’ll remain so. You owe banks money; your father will be too poor for treatment, your mother can’t buy medicine, your son will carry the high-interest debts for you. Not a single day of peace will be yours.”
Ignoring his muffled roars, she took the documents and went to the loan company. Her appearance was pitiful: hair white from years of hardship, frail from terminal illness, making her look much older than she was.
Liu Ge was shocked but recognized her. “Sister-in-law, you’ve changed a lot.”
Years ago, when handling Lin Jianjun’s debts, they had interacted several times, but she wasn’t like this back then. Now, she seemed completely wilted, like a flower that had rotted down to its stem.
Qiao Qingqing smiled bitterly. No acting was needed—her whole being screamed need and desperation.
Knowing Lin Chaohai had recently borrowed from the bank for a new factory, Liu Ge expedited the process, and within three hours, the cash was ready. She even agreed that if she couldn’t repay on time, Lin Chaohai’s family recipes would serve as collateral—the very thing that had made him rich.
Qiao Qingqing signed the contract, collected the cash in a large suitcase, and left carefully, moving through alleys and using her spatial abilities to avoid detection.
She went to her herbal company to pick up pre-ordered herbs and seeds, then to the largest live poultry market in the city. She bought chickens, ducks (half cleaned, half unplucked), 50 fat gray rabbits to pass as wild game, and various local fish species suitable for that era. Since the space couldn’t hold live creatures, sellers killed and cleaned them beforehand.
She also bought ready-made meals from restaurants, taking old iron cookware with her, plus flour and buns. By nightfall, after a full day of errands, she had only eaten a little and was exhausted.
With essential supplies secured, she began acquiring defensive tools. The remote farming area where her family would relocate was isolated, prone to harsh snow, and could be cut off for up to a year and a half. She sought expert advice from a former special agent, now a security specialist named Chen Shi.
Chen Shi demonstrated several effective tools: small stun batons, pepper sprays, and a Taser capable of disabling a target up to ten meters away. He also showed tactical pens made of titanium and tungsten steel capable of breaking glass and inflicting severe pain. Qiao Qingqing bought multiple units of all three.
She also purchased a hand-crank generator and some exercise equipment, ensuring she had a sustainable setup for her harsh plan.
Returning home, she found Lin Chaohai nearly passing out from hunger, knocked him out, gave a sedative, untied him, removed the gag, and cleaned the room. Using her space, she moved all valuable items into storage, leaving nothing behind.
With nearly two million yuan remaining, she bought gold at various jewelry stores, keeping only 1,500 yuan cash for emergencies.
Finally, checking the time:
[Rebirth Countdown: 3 hours 56 minutes 06 seconds]
Qiao Qingqing knew it was time to prepare Lin Chaohai’s final “gift.”